The Haas School’s Fisher CIO Leadership Program has named Randy Mott, chief information officer (CIO) of General Motors, recipient of the 2017 Fisher-Hopper Prize for Lifetime Achievement in CIO Leadership.

Mott has served as GM’s senior vice president and chief information officer since Feb. 2012, reporting to CEO Mary Barra. His decades-long career as an IT leader has included CIO roles at industry giants Walmart, Dell, & HP.

Jim Spitze, executive director of the Fisher CIO Leadership Program at Haas, said Mott has worked tirelessly to shift GM away from a predominantly outsourced IT strategy, bringing the automaker’s technology assets and services in-house.

“In his five years, he’s totally “insourced” his organization and made it a more agile, innovative, and integrated part of his company,” Spitze said. “By insourcing, he’s actually decreased the total cost of IT while vastly increasing GM’s overall level of innovation.”

GM CIO Randy Mott

In accepting the award at the annual Renaissance CIO banquet that followed the conference day of panels and learning sessions, Mott thanked his career mentors and recognized former Walmart CIO Bobby Martin.

Second award created for Home Depot CEO

A second top award, created by the Fisher CIO Leadership Program this year, went to Home Depot CIO Matt Carey, who is credited with modernizing the retailers’ IT systems. Spitze said the idea to present two awards came about after his bi-coastal CIO judging panel whittled the prize contenders’ names down to 19, before considering four finalists.

Then there were two: Mott and Carey, who was running a close second. “These guys are at the top of their game,” Spitze said. “So, after we talked, we came up with a variety of names for the new prize and we ended up choosing a “reserve winner” award for Matt. He has done amazing things at Home Depot.”

Home Depot CIO Matt Carey

“I’m humbled and honored by this award, mainly on behalf of the talented teams I’ve been part of in my career,” said Carey, who joined Home Depot in 2008 after serving as former chief technology officer of eBay. “This event was a great trip down memory lane as we discussed the collective challenges we’ve faced in IT over the years, and encouraging as we share similar opportunities ahead, regardless of industry.”

Past three Fisher-Hopper prizes have gone to women

There are three criteria for winning the Fisher-Hopper Award, Spitze added: The candidate must be “wicked smart;” have had a positive, major and enduring impact on his or her company; and also a positive, major and enduring impact on his or her industry. The past three Fisher-Hopper prizes have gone to women: Karenann Terell, CIO of Walmart (2016); Rebecca Rhoads, CIO of Raytheon (2015); and Patty Morrison, CIO of Cardinal Health (2014).

Previous recipients also include Chris Hjelm, Senior VP and CIO, The Kroger Company (2013); and Filippo Passerini, CIO, Group President of Global Business Services and CIO, Procter & Gamble (2012).

The Fisher CIO Leadership Program established the award to honor a currently active CIO for his or her lifetime achievements in CIO leadership.

The award is in memory of Haas alumnus Don Fisher, BS 51, co-founder of Gap Inc., and supporter of the IT Leadership Program at Haas, and Max Hopper, the visionary behind American Airlines’ SABRE Systems that computerized and revolutionized travel reservations.